“Houston owes its very existence to Buffalo Bayou. Today, Buffalo Bayou Partnership is taking a neglected waterway and transforming it into an attractive and inviting gateway into downtown and beyond.”
— Mayor Annise D. Parker, City of Houston

Our Vision

For more than 25 years, Buffalo Bayou Partnership has been actively pursuing plans and programs for a 10-mile stretch of Buffalo Bayou from Shepherd Drive to the Port of Houston Turning Basin.

Believing that the Millennium was the opportune time to dream and think BIG, Buffalo Bayou Partnership embarked on an historic planning effort with a nationally recognized consultant team led by Jane Thompson (Thompson Design Group-Boston), a leader in waterfront development throughout the world. Buffalo Bayou and Beyond, the organization’s visionary 20-year Master Plan, was issued in 2002 and calls for Buffalo Bayou to be a central, regional amenity. We are proud that our restoration and revitalization work has adhered to this plan’s overarching goals and planning concepts by balancing conservation and development and creating projects that serve multiple purposes—recreation, flood management and ecosystem restoration. Site-specific plans also have been completed for such areas as public art, lighting and conservation management.

In the Works

Directed by the Master Plan, Buffalo Bayou Partnership continues to raise and leverage private and public funds for the bayou's restoration and high profile capital projects. Some of the important projects that are "in the works" are:

Currently underway is the ambitious $58 million Buffalo Bayou Park project. Presented with a monumental opportunity to transform 160 acres of green space along Buffalo Bayou between Shepherd Drive and Sabine Street, a strong public-private partnership was formed.

Allen's Landing, Houston's birthplace and first port, has been a focal point of BBP's revitalization efforts for over a decade. Central to these efforts is restoration of the 12,000-square-foot Sunset Coffee Building. Renovations are scheduled to be complete in spring 2015.

Ongoing Programs

BBP operates the Skimmer Boat Program and Clean & Green, two bayou clean-up initiatives that utilize specially-designed skimmer boats and community service workers to remove trash and debris from the waterway.

To activate and increase stewardship of Buffalo Bayou, Buffalo Bayou Partnership offers a wide-range of recreational, cultural and volunteer events. Temporary public art programming is also offered through creative partnerships. Be sure to check out all of BBP’s upcoming events!